MCA at Daniel Kany Gallery will open on April 4 and run through May 24. The opening reception will be on Friday, April 4, from 5-8 pm. The exhibition features 30 artists from around the state. Once the installation is complete, Kany and Stutzman will be giving awards to what they believe are the top works in the show. While there is a broad range of mediums in the exhibition, there is also a broad range of experience among the artists – a reflection of Kany's goal of fostering professionalism among emerging craft artists in Maine. "I want to help grow the presence of fine craft in Maine galleries. Some of the strongest work being produced in Maine is what most people might call 'craft.' I personally don't subscribe to the distinction of art versus craft; it's not an issue for my gallery." A link to the text "Craft & Art in Post-war America", an essay penned by Kany on the subject of art versus craft for Maine Home + Design, is on the exhibition page for this show on www.kany.net.

The Maine Crafts Association joined forces with the Maine Highlands Guild on the first of the year. "This is a kind of opportunity we particularly enjoy offering to our members, especially since it allows the public to see more of what we do," explains new Executive Director Tracy Stutzman. "We have a deep and rich tradition of fine crafts in Maine and we are getting more venues where the works by our members can be shown. Daniel Kany's gallery is one of the new galleries in Maine which focuses on fine craft. Kany has worked with the top glass artists in the world and many of the most renowned clay artists such as Rudy Autio and Jun Kaneko. I think it will be a great chance for him to get to know the work of the MCA members and I think having their work in a commercial exhibition in a major gallery in Portland is an excellent opportunity."

"I had thought the work of the clay artists would probably be the deepest and strongest,” notes Kany. “We have had many very great submissions in glass and jewelry as well. This show could have been produced on a huge scale: there is a massive well of talent in the membership of the MCA. I would like to be clear, however, that this show is not intended to be a broad and balanced survey of the work by the MCA members. I have curated the show, so while the high level of the work speaks to the talent of the MCA members, any idiosyncrasies or themes in the body of the selected works – for better or worse – reflect my choices. The artist list, images and additional information can be found at www.kany.net"

More information about the Maine Crafts Association may be found at www.mainecrafts.org

For more information and publication-quality images, please contact Daniel Kany.